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  • Work Package 4

  • WP4: Transmission of lumpy skin disease virus

  • Work package objective: WP4

    Lumpy skin disease virus (LSDV) transmission routes remain largely uncharacterised, particularly in the newly emergent regions of the Middle East and Europe, and this hampers development of effective and proportionate control programmes.

    The aim of work package 4 (WP4) was to elucidate the routes by which LSDV is transmitted from cattle to cattle and farm to farm and to assess their relative importance in LSD epidemiology.

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Work package WP4: Achievements

New data and insights have been generated about the role of stable flies in LSDV transmission. The fact that only a few were sufficient to cause LSDV transmission shows that even in circumstances with low vector pressure (for example during transport or outside the stable fly season), the risk of LSDV spread is not zero. The development of an in vitro stable fly feeding – transmission model during this project will support future investigations of the interaction of the host with the stable flies.

Potential other stable fly-independent transmission routes were explored in lab settings as well as via experimental animal studies. Our research focused on LSDV transmission from the stable to the animals (re-population scenario), from semen via artificial insemination and from LSDV contaminated water, air and feed. Although for latter this was demonstrated, it was less efficient than with stable flies.